New Mexico State Police had more than a dozen officers on New Year's Eve patrol, and seven people wound up in the back seat of a police car facing DWI charges. Officers said that number is low.

"I think people realize that we're taking this serious and they felt our presence out there," Sgt. Damyan Brown said. "Not having to respond to a bad crash where people maybe lost their lives, was just awesome."

There were no serious crashes and most police agencies DWI arrest numbers were in the single digital. Santa Fe police arrested 7 people, Albuquerque police arrested five, Bernalillo County sheriff's deputies arrested four and Rio Rancho arrested three.

Police said education and saturation patrols make a big difference.

"Our heavy enforcement of our DWI laws over the last few years, have contributed to people getting the message," Brown said. "I think it's great that was our goal, that was our main goal last night, was to prevent any kind of tragedy occurring to the innocent people in New Mexico that are just trying to enjoy the holiday."

Along with the DWI arrests, state police wrote more than 60 citations all in an effort to make sure drivers stayed safe during one of the most dangerous nights on New Mexico roads. The citations were for speeding and other minor traffic violations.

CRASHES ON THANKSGIVING WEEKEND. BUT, NEW YEAR'S EVE WAS A MUCH DIFFERENT STORY. ACTION SEVEN NEWS REPORTER REGINA RUIZ SAYS THERE WERE FEWER ARRESTS... AND FEWER CRASHES. STATE POLICE HAD MORE THAN A DOZEN OFFICERS ON NEW YEARS EVE PATROL---- AND SEVEN PEOPLE WOUND UP IN THE BACK SEAT OF A POLICE CAR FACING DWI CHARGES--- A NUMBER THEY SAY IS LOW I think people realize that we're taking this serious and they felt our presence out there. A SAFE NEW YEAR'S EVE ON NEW MEXICO'S ROADS. Not having to respond to a bad crash where people maybe lost their lives, was just awesome. NO SERIOUS CRASHES AND MOST AGENCIES Not having to respond to a bad crash where people maybe lost their lives, was just awesome. NO SERIOUS CRASHES AND MOST AGENCIES REPORTED DWI ARREST NUMBERS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS. GFX ALBUQUERQUE POLICE ARRESTED 5 PEOPLE. BERNALILLO COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES--4 RIO RANCHO POLICE 3. POLICE SAY EDUCATION AND SATURATION PATROLS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. Our heavy enforcement of our DWI laws over the last few years, have contributed to people getting the message IN SANTA FE... LOW NUMBERS AS WELL GFX SANTA FE POLICE -7 DWI ARRESTS AND... STATE POLICE IN SANTA FE COUNTY -- JUST 2 I think it's great, that was our goal, that was our main goal last night, was to prevent any kind of tragedy occuring to the innocent people in New Mexico that are just trying to enjoy the holiday ALONG WITH THE DWI ARRRESTS, STATE POLICE WROTE MORE THAN SIXTY CITATIONS...ALL IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE SURE DRIVERS STAYED SAFE DURING ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS NIGHTS NIGHTS ON NEW MEXICO ROADS. REPORTING IN ALBUQUERQUE REGINA RUIZ ACTION 7 NEWS. THE CITATIONS WERE FOR SPEEDING AND OTHER MINOR TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS.